Session 4

Flow Meters

Wisnu Purwanto
Sr. Metering & QMI Engineer

General
Flow meter selection
The knowledge of fluid dynamic is crucial for the selection of flow meter.
to ensure a successful application, all the important characteristics of the
fluid and installation must be known
Installation requirements:
Entrainment in the fluid, e.g. BS&W
Liquid
Vapor pressure - flashing will have a detrimental effect to the point
where some types of flow meter may stop measuring
Gas
Condensation temperature - wet gas flow may give rise to huge
measurement errors.
The fluid flow profile
the largest potential source of measurement errors.
Process fluid properties:
Pressure, temperature - Minimum, average, maximum flow, flow under
upset conditions
Density, compressibility, viscosity
Fluid composition
Required accuracy
 Introduction
Many different principles and meter types available in the market
for various application. However, this course will only discuss:
Differential pressure type flow meters
Orifice flow meter
Venturi meter
Cone meter
Ultrasonic flow meters
Coriolis mass flow meters
Multi-phase flow meters
Turbine meters
Positive displacement (PD) meters
Electro-magnetic flow meters
Vortex meters

Orifice meter
General
The primary device is a piece of plate with
certain bore diameter to create pressure drop.
Intensive research, experiment and calibration
has been done and have adopted a concentric
thin sharp edged orifice as standard.
No moving part, normally does not require
calibration.
Instead, periodic verification of dimensions and
calibration of secondary device shall be
performed
Size available up to DN1200
Uncertainty
Custody Transfer
0.5% - 2%
Regular
2 – 5%
 Orifice meter
Features & Advantages
Widely accepted and applied principle, flexible.
Suitable for liquids, gases, steam
Re-ranging in situ by changing the differential pressure transmitter span
Simple design, rugged and relatively inexpensive.
Available in various sizes, type and connections.
Well established procedures convert the differential pressure into flow
rate, using empirically derived coefficients.
Normally, actual fluid flow calibration is not required.
Disadvantage
Low turn down ratio, typically 3 : 1 for accuracy not exceed than +/- 1%.
Less accurate for higher flow range
Sensitive to flow profile; require long straight length
Pipe honing is typically required for fiscal application.

Orifice meter
How Does It Works ?
When the fluid approaches orifice, the pressure will increase slightly
and then drop suddenly after passed through.

It continues to drop until the “vena contracta” is reached then gradually

increases until at 5 to 8 D downstream.
 Orifice meter
How Does It Works ?
Its maximum pressure will be lower than the pressure upstream of the
orifice.
The pressure drop across the orifice increases when the rate of flow
increases.
The differential pressure is proportional to the square of the velocity.
As all other factors remain constant, then the differential is proportional
to the square of the rate of flow.
Basic Formula
qm = mass flow rate [kg/s]
ρ = density of fluid [kg/m3]
p1 = upstream pres [Pa]
p2 = downstream pres [Pa]
C = a constant [ - ]

For detail algorithm refer to ISO 5167-2 or AGA-3 as alternative

Orifice meter
Orifice Plate Design
Thin Plate, Concentric Orifice
The most commonly used orifice plate type.
upstream edge of the orifice must be sharp and square.
Minimum plate thickness based on pipe I.D., orifice bore, etc. is
standardized.
Beta ratio ( orifice-to-pipe diameter ratio d/D) must not exceed
recommended limits.
Eccentric Orifice Plates
The eccentric plate has a round opening (bore) tangent to the inside wall of
the pipe.
Typically used to measure fluids which carry a small amount of non-abrasive
solids, or gases with small amounts of liquid.
With the opening at the bottom of the pipe, the solids and liquids will carry
through, rather than collect at the orifice plate.
Predictable uncertainty is not as good as the concentric plate.
 Orifice meter
Orifice Plate Design
Segmental Orifice Plates
The opening in a segmental orifice plate is comparable to a partially opened
gate valve.
Typically used for measuring liquids or gases which carry non-abrasive
impurities such as light slurries or exceptionally dirty gases.
Predictable uncertainty is not as good as the concentric plate
Quadrant Edge Plate
The quarter-circle or quadrant orifice is used for fluids of high viscosity.
Not suitable for gas
incorporates a rounded edge of definite radius which is a particular function
of the orifice diameter
Conic Edge Plate
The conic edge plate has a 45° bevel facing upstream into the flowing
stream.
Useful for even lower Reynolds numbers than the quadrant edge.

Orifice meter
Orifice Plate Design
Tap Locations
Flange Taps
located 1” upstream face of the orifice plate and 1”
downstream face with a + 1/64 to +1/32 tolerance.
Pipe Taps
located 2½ D upstream and 8 D downstream.
Vena - Contracta Taps
located 1 D upstream and at the point of minimum
pressure downstream
Corner Taps
located immediately adjacent to the plate faces, upstream
and downstream
Calibration and validation
Fiscal application: 1/year
Other application: 1/3 year - 1/5 year depend on process condition
 Orifice meter
Installation
Require fully developed flow profile, pulsation, swirl, and non uniform
flow shall be avoided.
Upstream straight length from 3D to 75D depend on the upstream pipe
configuration and beta ratio. Use flow conditioner to reduce length.
Typical for fiscal meter 20 – 45 D, internal honing
Dual DP transmitter to extend flow range
The transmitter shall be mounted above the line for gas flow and below
the line for liquid flow.
Dual chamber orifice such as Daniel Senior or FMC Smith (Peco)
Measuremaster will allow plate replacement without shutdown.
Consist of two (2) chambers.
First chamber (lower) for measuring
Second chamber (upper) for orifice removal after depressurized.
Common problem
seals
High pressure application may require Viton AED seal.

Orifice meter
Common problems – Gas flow measurement
Liquid loading
Over reading, depend on how “wet” the gas, can be very excessive.
Murdock or Chisholm correction shall be applied to reduce error up to 2%.
If no drain hole, the liquid hold-up in front of the plate might cause large
errors.
Density variation
applying fixed density in the formula may lead to large errors up to 20 % and
more
P & T compensation is only effective if the average mol weight is constant.
Common problems – Liquid flow measurement
Flashing / cavitations in liquid produce large measurement error
At low flows, high water cut content may cause build-up of sand in front
of the orifice plate.
Density variations
Very small effect for pure liquid.
Large error for crude with fluctuating water content
 Orifice meter
Manufacturers
FMC Smith - USA
Emerson Daniel – USA
Pietro Fiorentini – Italy
Bristol Babcock – UK
Superior – USA
Canalta - CANADA

Venturi meter
General
A flow restriction to create pressure drop.
Wide range of applications for liquid and
gases.
suitable for multiphase and wet gas flow
measurement
Can be used on slurries and dirty fluids
No moving part, normally does not
require re-calibration.
Size available up to DN1200
Uncertainty
+/- 0.7 - 1.5 % depending on shape and
materials.
 Venturi meter
Features & Advantages
Widely applicable for liquids/gases/steam
Very low pressure loss; typically 20-50 mBar
Re-ranging in situ by changing the differential pressure transmitter span
In case of wet gas flows, no liquid hold-up.
handle about 60% more flow than an orifice plate for the same bore
under the same conditions, and can therefore handle higher velocity
flows
less sensitive to velocity flow profile disturbances compared to orifice
Disadvantage
Large size, fixed dimension, changing beta ratio is not possible without
changing the whole unit.
Fairly expensive
Calibration and validation
Other application: 1/3 year - 1/5 year depend on process condition

Venturi meter
Venturi for wet gas meter application
Over reading for wet gas measurement, depend on how “wet” the gas
as indicated by Lockhart-Martinelli (LM) factor

LM factor:
 Venturi meter
Venturi for wet gas meter application
Wet gas correction factor :
Murdock and Chisholm Correction
not suitable for venturi; developed for
orifice plates,
De Leeuw (Modified Chisholm correction)
Reflecting the observed
pressure and Froude number dependence)
Condensate Gas Ratio (CGR) and Water to Gas Ratio (WGR) to be
determined :
Multiphase sampling and laboratory analysis
Tracer injection, sampling and measurement the tracer dilution ratio
MPFM well testing measurement
Typically wet gas flow measurement with a liquid loading up to some 4
% is possible with a measurement accuracy of approx. +/- 2 – 4 %
BSP Installations:
CWDP01 and EGDP01 venturi wet gas meter
CGR and WGR to be updated from MPFM well testing.

Venturi meter
Manufacturers
FMC Smith - USA
Emerson Daniel – USA
Solartron ISA – UK
Lambda Square – USA
 Cone Meter
General
Unique Differential Pressure Device which
uses a cone shaped differential producer
to generate a D.P. as opposed to through a
central opening.
The function of the square root of the DP
is proportional to the flow rate.
Similar principle as orifice plate.
Original design was patented by
McCrometer in 1986 under trade mark V-
Cone meter. Patent valid for 20 years.
Other manufacturer now can produce cone
meter.

Cone Meter
Features & Advantages
Wide range of flow applications
Suitable for fouling applications: slurries, high BS&W
Suitable for wet gas flows with Lockhart & Martinelli (LM) up to 0.5
Large Turndown ratio, up to 1 : 20
Less sensitive to flow profile disturbance; require much less upstream
straight length.
no liquid hold-up in wet gas flows measurement
Disadvantages
Relatively new development device; limited experiences.
Construction would seem vulnerable to material fatigue in vibrating
applications.
Calibration issue
 Cone Meter
Principle of Operations

Cone Meter
Beta Ratio

D d

d D

d2
β = 1− 2
D
 Cone Meter
Basic formula
For dry gas

Where
Cd = discharge coefficient of that meter from a dry gas flow calibration.
E = the velocity of approach factor
ε = is the gas expansibility factor.
Ad is the minimum cross sectional area through the meter.
For wet gas application, shall be corrected by Steven correlation

uncertainty up to 2%.

Cone Meter
Manufacturers
McCrometer – USA
Nuflo - USA
 Ultrasonic flow meters
General
Non intrusive flow measurement
device, utilizing ultrasonic transit time
technology.
Dedicated design for liquids or gas
Applications
Fiscal & allocation measurement
Flow line measurement
Flare / vent gas measurement
Uncertainty
Fiscal Application (multpath USM)
0.15 - 0.2 % for liquids
0.2-0.3 % for gases
routine applications 0.5 - 2 % for
liquids and gases depending on
number of paths and velocity profile

Ultrasonic flow meters

Features & Advantages
Wide application liquid and gases; bi-directional flow capability
Very high turndown
Liquid USM up to 1 : 20
Gas USM up to 1 : 300
High repeatability of +/- 0.02 %
Very low pressure loss
Liquid USM is suitable for high viscosity fluids
Built-in diagnostic and health check feature available on some
manufacturer.
No moving parts, minimum wear-off
Disadvantages
Fairly expensive
Liquid USM is not suitable for oil-water mixtures.
Gas USM is sensitive to ultrasonic noise and not suitable for high CO2
content.
 Ultrasonic flow meters
USM Transit time principle
Transducer A2

V• x/l

l
v d
x
Transducer A1
l l
t 21 = t12 =
c 21 − v.x / l c12 + v.x / l

Ultrasonic flow meters

USM Transit time principle
Measure the transit time, both upstream and downstream
Where T, P and Density are constant, C12 = C21, then the gas velocity:
l 2  t 21 − t 12 
v=  
2 ⋅ x  t 21.t12 
The actual volume Q = gas velocity x Area
The speed of sound can also be obtained

l  t 21 + t12 
v=  
2  t 21.t 12 

Determine the direction of flow since the electronic can identify which is
longer between t12 and t21
 Ultrasonic flow meters
USM Design
Available in single path, two path, three path, four path, five path, six
path etc.
direct from transducer to transducer or “bounce” i.e. the pulse from one
transducer bounces in the pipe before reaching the other transducer.
Multipath design improve uncertainties and less sensitive to flow profile;
typically used for fiscal application.
Clamp-on type
Easy installation on existing pipeline.
Less accurate compared with “wetted” transducer type
Min. operating pressure 40 barg for gas USM clamp-on type.

Ultrasonic flow meters

USM Design
Gas USM - dealing with noise from control valve – if can’t be avoided
 Ultrasonic flow meters
Calibration
Dry Calibration
Not a real calibration by mean comparing with a reference meter.
Similar concept as orifice meter, ie: verification of dimension.
For USM : Verification of dimensions and functionality test of the electronic
devices.
Wet Calibration (Gas USM)
The USM is compared with reference meter (typically turbine meter) to find
the errors.
Where possible, calibration shall be done at the condition similar or near the
operating condition.
Correction to applied if necessary and agreed by relevant party – then meter
shall be sealed.
Proving (Liquid USM)
The largest third party calibration facility currently is SPSE in France
 Bi-directional prover, Max. cap. : 3000 m3/hr
 Master Meter; Max. cap. : 4000 m3/hr
Euroloop test facility will be onstream 2008; Max. cap. : 8000 m3/hr

Ultrasonic flow meters

Manufacturers
Gas USM
Elster-Instromet – Germany / Netherland
Emerson Daniel – USA
FMC Smith – USA
Sick Maihak – Germany
Panametric – USA
Controlotron – USA
Roxar – Norway
RMG - Germany
Liquid USM
Khrone – Germany
Endress & Hauser – Switzerland
Panametric – USA
Controlotron – USA
Nuflo - Caldon - USA
 Coriolis mass flow meters
General
initially developed at the end of the seventies
and they became commercially viable
somewhere in the middle eighties.
Coriolis mass flow meters are not sensitive to
any form of flow profile disturbance, be it swirl,
asymmetry or other.
Direct mass flow measurement
Size available up to DN300

Uncertainties:
typically for liquids 0.1-0.15 % mass flow rate
gases 0.5 – 1 % mass flow rate

Coriolis mass flow meters

Advantages & Features
Wide application liquid and gases - two phase flow water/oil and water
condensate
Very accurate with high turndown up to 1:20
No wearing parts (long-term meter factor stability)
No upstream or downstream flow conditioning or straight run
requirements
No pressure or temperature compensation required and no need for
calibration if used
No valve noise concerns and the only flow meter available that is
unaffected by fluid pulsations.
No flow damage or loss of measurement at abnormally high flows
(design dependent)
Minimum maintenance with extensive diagnostic health and accuracy
indicators
 Coriolis mass flow meters
Advantages & Features
Multi variable outputs:
mass flow (measured)
volume flow (calculated from mass & density)
density (measured)
The density measurement data can be used to calculate water cut.
For gas application, some manufacturer offer capability to measure
excitation voltage reflecting the liquid carry-over.
Disadvantages
Expensive
Sensitive to process line vibration
Needs special attention for installation details
Fairly high pressure loss 0.2 – 1.5 bar depending on application.
Certain manufacturer produce meter with burst pulse output
very poor
repeatability during proving.

Coriolis mass flow meters

Design
The U-shaped tube
The “omega” shape tube
The straight tube
The S-shaped tube
Single or double tube configuration
Ect.
 Coriolis mass flow meters
Measurement principle
The fluid being measured flows through
the sensor tube.
Inside the meter housing, the flow
sensor tube is vibrated at its natural
frequency by an electromagnetic drive
system.
similar to that of a tuning fork, the
amplitude is typically less than 1 mm,
the frequency is approximately 80 Hz.
As fluid moves through the vibrating
tube, it is forced to take on the tube's
vertical momentum.
During half of the vibration cycle when
the tube is moving upward, fluid flowing
into the meter pushes downward
against the tube resisting the upward
force.

Coriolis mass flow meters

Measurement principle
Conversely, fluid flowing out of the
meter, having been forced upward,
resists having its vertical momentum
decreased and pushes upward
against the tube.
This results in a twisting motion of
the flow tube where the downstream
bend lags behind the upstream bend
of the tube.
The amount of twist in the sensor
tube is directly proportional to the
mass flow rate of the fluid flowing
through it.
Electromagnetic sensors are located
on each side of the flow tube to
measure respective velocity of the
vibrating tube at these two points.
 Coriolis mass flow meters
Influence factors
Gas bubbles in liquid flows (and flashing) may give rise to large
measurement errors
will give a maximum output.
Liquid droplets in a gas flow will also cause indication errors.
Wax deposition will cause density measurement errors and thus errors
in measured mass flow.
Sand may collect in meters with a downward oriented installation and
will cause a high pressure drop as well as measurement errors due to
the density measurement error caused by the sand deposit.
Many flowmeter manufacturers recommend installation in a vertical line
(if possible) for high BS&W applications

Coriolis mass flow meters

Meter proving
Anytime the meter is rezeroed.
When the flow sensor installation or mounting conditions are modified.
When the Coriolis meter density measurement is calibrated,
When the meter assembly is repaired or replaced.
When a flow rate change occurs that will cause a shift in the meter factor
in excess of predetermined tolerance limits.
Legislative requirement or at the request of parties involved in custody
transfer.
Anytime the accuracy of a meter is in question.
When a change in the direction of flow through the meter occurs, if a
meter factor has not been determined for the new direction.
 Coriolis mass flow meters
Water Cut Measurement Using Coriolis Mass Flowmeters

Where
WC = water cut , %
ρactual = the measured density, kg/m3
ρoil = the oil density, kg/m3
ρwater = the water density, kg/m3
Manufacturers
Emerson – Micro Motion - USA
Endress & Hauser – Swizerland
Rheonik – Netherland
Oval – Japan
Foxboro – USA
FMC Smith – USA
Able – UK
.. Many more

Multi-phase Flow Meters

General
Traditionally, the measurement of three phase production fluids
required complete gas/liquid separation using test/production
separator and then independent measurement.
A non-conventional Multi Phase Flow Meter (MPFM) - capable of
measuring water, oil and gas simultaneously without the need of full
separation.
Typical standard MPFM suitable for GVF (gas volume fraction) up to
97%.
Above 97% partial separation is required
High Gas MPFM
The CWDP-1 & EGDP01 utilizing the High Gas MPFM, designed and
manufactured by Roxar AS, Norway
Each manufacturer develops their own design
 Multi-phase Flow Meters
High Gas MPFM

CORIOLIS METER CONTROL PANEL

CYCLONE
SEPARATOR

CONTROL VALVES

MULTIPHASE
FLOWMETER

Multi-phase Flow Meters

High Gas MPFM Component
“GDS” Cyclone Separator c/w DP Transmitter
for liquid level measurement
Partial gas separation in very compact vessel
Ensuring the GVF flowing through the MPFM
within its operating envelope.
Widen the operating envelope of the MPFM
Increase the accuracy of the measurements at
high GVF
“Micromotion” Coriolis flow meter
Measure gas on the gas leg accurately
Complete with transmitter capable to detect liquid
carry over by measuring excitation signal voltage
 Multi-phase Flow Meters
High Gas MPFM Component
“Roxar” MPFM 1900 VI MPFM providing individual
volume rate measurement of gas, oil and water.
Venturi meter complete with DPT, PT and TT
to
measure total mass multiphase flow
Gamma densitometer
measure the total density of
the mixture flowing
Capacitive sensor
to measure the fraction of oil,
water and gas (not suitable for water-continuous flow)
Inductive sensor
to measure the fraction of oil,
water and gas in water-continuous flow.
“Fisher” Control valves, for gas leg and liquid leg
flow control
Controlled by the System Control Unit (SCU)
Feedback from the control valves is read using HART
communication to the SCU

Multi-phase Flow Meters

High Gas MPFM Component
“ Roxars High Gas System” System Control Unit
(SCU)
To control and distribute the flow of gas and
multiphase flow.
Controlled variable is GVF of MPFM 1900VI
Reads the measured value from the Coriolis and
the liquid DP tx.
Monitors the alarm status of the transmitter and
position of the two control valves
“Roxar” MPFM 1900VI® Flow Computer and
Service Console Program (SCP)
Multiphase flow calculation
The operator’s access point.
 Multi-phase Flow Meters
Other MPFM Manufacturers
Slumberger Vx – Norway
MPFM - Norway
Haimo – China
Jiskoot – UK
AGAR – USA
Accuflow – USA
Phase Dynamic – USA
Abbon Flow Master (AFM) – Norway
ESMER – UK
Red Eye – USA
Neftemer – Russia
Vega – Italy
Pietro Fiorentini - Italy

Turbine flow meter - Liquid

General
In the 1950’s, the turbine meter began to be
applied extensively as a result of the needs
of the aerospace industry.
in the early 1970’s, the petroleum industry
accepted the turbine meter for custody
transfer liquid service.
Cost effective metering solution
Although available for gas service
(dedicated design), this course will only
discuss the liquid application
 Turbine flow meter - Liquid
Features & Advantages
Wide range of fluid applications
Higher capacity than PD meter, up to 3 x and lower pressure drop
Linearity +/- 0.15% for turn down ratio 10 : 1 with repeatability +/- 0.02%
Standard rimmed rotor normally is used for low viscosity liquid, max. to
(2 x Inch size) cP with reduce turn down ratio
Simple design – less moving parts, means less maintenance light weight
and less expensive
Available for very high pressure application with size from ½ to 24”
Fast response and convenient read-out for control purposes, mostly
equipped with pulse transmitter for electronic system.
Superior for continuous and non-fluctuating flow.
Dual pulse fidelity for fiscal application

Turbine flow meter - Liquid

Disadvantages
Intrusive technology
High sensitivity to viscosity and density
Relatively high pressure drop and back pressure
Limitation over high viscosity
Wear and tear : moving parts
Sensitive to fluid shock, loss of calibration
Sensitive to viscosity changes, meter curve must be established in the
same fluid
Require strainer to protect from debris
Require periodic calibration, for fiscal application such as ship
loading/unloading proving may be done one or two time per-loading.
 Turbine flow meter - Liquid
Principle of Operation
Sensing the linear velocity of the fluid passing
through the known cross-sectioned area to
determine the volumetric flow rate.
The fluid imparts an angular velocity (rpm) to the
turbine rotor, which is proportional to the linear
velocity of the flowing fluid.
the linear velocity of the flowing fluid through a
given hydraulic area is directly proportional to the
volumetric flow rate
Hence, the volumetric flow rate can be determined
by accurate measurement of the rotor's speed
(rpm).
The rotor speed is sensed by reluctance type pick-
up coil(s).
Typically produce high frequency pulse output,
except the helical type which is lower.

Turbine flow meter - Liquid

Design – Standard Rim

1. Pick-up coil
connection
2. Rotor
3. End connections
4. Flow vane
5. Vane hub
6. Rotor shaft &
bearing
7. Retaining ring
8. Body
 Turbine flow meter - Liquid
Design – Helical bladed turbine meter
Suitable for high viscosity liquid up to 400 cP
or more but the turn down ratio will
decrease.
The helical blade rotor typically made of
titanium, pure helix with a blade depth much
longer than conventional design
very
stable
Produce low frequency pulse, need pulse
interpolation technique for proving.
Handle the combined operating range for the
PD and conventional turbine meter
guidelines stated in API MPMS
robust and can absorb minor damage
without loss in performance.
Multiproduct with wide viscosity range

Turbine flow meter - Liquid

Installation
Can be installed horizontal or vertical
Require fully developed flow profile; pulsation,
swirl, and non uniform flow shall be avoided.
Min. 10 D upstream meter tube with standard
flow conditioner
High performance flow conditioner shall be
considered for high viscosity application to
minimized pressure drop.
High performance flow conditioner may reduce
straight length to 7D

10 D 5D
 Turbine flow meter - Liquid
Installation
Require adequate back pressure to prevent cavitations, API
recommends :
BP = 2 x DP + 1.25 x VP
DP = pressure drop at max. flow
VP = Vapor pressure of liquid
Strainer 10 or 20 mesh screen usually suitable to protect the meter.
Higher mesh rating will create higher pressure drop.
Helical turbine meter require lowers mesh screen
Calibration / Proving
Fiscal application : depend on contract, can be 1 or twice per-loading up
to at least once per year.
Other application : Depend on process condition; at least once every 3
years

Turbine flow meter - Liquid

Manufacturer
Helical Bladed Turbine Meter
Faure Herman – France
FMC Smith - USA
Standard Rim
Emerson-Daniel – USA
Hoffer - USA
FMC Smith - USA
Cameron – Nuflo (was ITT Barton & Halliburton) - USA
Bob & Reuther – Germany
Oval - Japan
 PD Meter - Liquid
General
Positive Displacement (PD) meters have been
in wide use for over a century in water service.
1960’s, PD meters were widely accepted in the
petroleum industry.
Although available for gas service (dedicated
design), this course will only discuss the liquid
application

PD Meter - Liquid
Features & Advantages
Does not require fully developed flow profile.
Typical accuracy +/- 0.5% with repeatability ± 0.01%
High turn down ratio, up to 1 : 100 for high viscosity fluid
Available up to ANSI 600# rating, with various size from 1 ½ to 16”
Wide range of fluid applications
Fast response and convenient read-out.
Does not require external power supply for local reading, either using
mechanical register or battery power totalizer.
Can be equipped with pulse transmitter for electronic system.
 PD Meter - Liquid
Disadvantages
Bulky, more moving parts – require more maintenance.
Lower capacity compared to turbine meter.
Need special attention for low viscosity and dry / non-lubricated fluid.
Relatively expensive.
Require periodic calibration/proving
Installation
Normally horizontal installation, but vertical installation also possible for
small size.
Upstream and downstream flow straightener is not required.
A strainer must be installed upstream of and close to the PD meter,
Air Eliminator (deaerator) is required where liquid may contain vapours
or gasses.
Flow limiting devices must be installed in cases where the meter may be
over-ranged.

PD Meter - Liquid
Principle of Operation
Four designs of PD meters are extensively utilized in the petroleum
industry – oval gear, rotating paddle, sliding vane and birotor
Flow pass through the meter is measured directly by separating the flow
stream into discrete volumetric segment (measuring chamber)
 PD Meter - Liquid
Principle of Operation
During one complete rotation a precise and specific volume of fluid
passes through the meter.
By counting rotations of the wheels (gears) the incoming flow is
digitized into a series of accurate discrete volumes
The quantity is determined by totalizing this segment
The measuring element will act as hydraulic motor to produce torque to
drive the mechanical register and or pulse transmitter
Mechanical large dial register (LDR) typically used for local indication.
Frequency pulse transmitter producing high or low frequencies can be
installed directly or at the LDR shaft.
Product slippage is the most crucial problem affecting the linearity of a
PD meter

PD Meter - Liquid
Manufacturers
Avery Hardol - UK
Cameron Nuflo (ITT Barton)
Satam Control - French
FMC Smith - USA
Liquid Control - USA
Bob & Reuther - Germany
Broodie (was Brooks) – USA
Tokheim - USA
Oval - Japan
 Electromagnetic flow meters
General
Electromagnetic flowmeters is a volumetric, liquid
flow measuring devices for conductive liquid such
as water, acids, bases, or fluids that contain a
sufficiently high water content to ensure electrical
conductivity.
Minimum conductivity vary from 0.05 *Siemens/cm
to 5 *Siemens/cm; depend on the manufacturer.
Features & Advantages
Low pressure drop,
Low maintenance design–with no moving parts
High accuracy, suitable for custody transfer ( e.g.
drinking water)
insensitivity to specific gravity, viscosity, pressure
and temperature
Capable for measurement of “difficult” as
corrosives, slurries and sludges

Electromagnetic flow meters

Features & Advantages
High turndown ratio 1:10
Wide range of sizes available, up to DN2500
Disadvantages
Relatively expensive
Limited applicability in oil/water mixtures, oil needs to be dispersed in
water (no slugs)
 Electromagnetic flow meters
Principle of Operation
Faraday’s Law,
the voltage induced across any conductor as it moves
at right angles through a magnetic field is proportional to the velocity of
that conductor.
E= kxVxBxD

Electromagnetic flow meters

Manufacturers
Khrone – Netherland
Endress Hauser – Swizerland
Emerson – Brooks – USA
Yokogawa - Japan
Able – UK
Foxboro – USA
Bopp Reuther – Germany
McCrometer – USA
Siemens – Germany
Dynasonic - USA
 Vortex meters
Basic Theory
Todor von Karman discovered that
when a non-streamlined object (also
called a bluff body) is placed in the
path of a fast moving stream, the
fluid is unable to remain attached to
the object on its downstream sides
and will alternately separate from
one side and then the other.
Vortex meters make use of a natural
phenomenon that occurs when a
liquid or gas flows around an
obstacle in the stream: a bluff body
object.

Vortex meters
Principle of operation
Vortices are shed alternately
downstream of the object.
At low velocity : No vortices formed low
flow cut-off
At high velocity : vortex shedding
The shedding frequency is a linear At low velocity
function of the fluid velocity and hence
of the volumetric flow rate.
A sensor embedded in the bluff body
measures the vortex shedding
frequency which is directly proportional
to the velocity of the fluid, liquid or gas,
flowing through the meter

At high velocity
 Vortex meters
Features & Advantages
Relatively low cost device with wide range application of clean service :
liquid and gases; size availbeup to DN600
High turndown ratio up to 1:20
Capable of measuring very high fluid speeds (up to 80 m/sec in gases)
Disadvantages
only function properly under truly single-phase fluid conditions, not
suitable for high viscosity and dirty liquid.
Not suitable for fiscal application
Needs relatively high fluid velocity ( Re > 20,000)
Susceptible to oscillating flows and mechanical vibration.
Service limitations:
should not be considered for very viscous, waxy or erosive services
should not be used in wet gas or wet steam applications or in any other two-
phase application (e.g. liquids with gas bubbles or foam, flashing liquids,
half-full lines).

Vortex meters
Installation
Non-wetted sensors are preferred. For critical applications, the sensors
shall be replaceable during operation.
Horizontal installation
recommended to mount vortex meters with the shedder bars in the
horizontal plane in order to reduce the build-up from debris and other hard
deposits.
For gas measurements, the meter should preferably not be located at the
lowest point in order to avoid condensate impacting on the measuring
element.
Vertical installation
Flow shall be upwards.
In liquid services, the horizontal or vertical flow line must remain full
under all operating conditions.
should not be installed downstream of positive displacement
pumps/compressors without suction and discharge dampers.
 Vortex meters
Manufacturer
Emerson – Rosemount – USA
Foxboro – USA
Endress & Hauser – Switzerland
Yokogawa – Japan
Sierra Instrument – USA
Caldon – USA
Aalborg -

End of Session 4